The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1887-03-04
MAGNOLIA, MISSISSIPPI FRIDAY MARCH T. 1887.


who are not specially noted for
extraordinary speed in the chris
tian race?
Did you ever hear Of a dancing
church member bursting blood
vessel, or straining an ankle, or
breaking his neck by running over
something that happened to be
crossing the christian race track ?
/ think I've seen some who would
feel entirely out Of their element
if they were merely harnesscd up
and put on the track. They d 4
fly the track for a start, provided
they were able TO run at all
If they were merely put into
the harness, I imagine the would
cut figure something akin 10
"Puss IN boots," or "Old Credit
played out"
Paal says, "let Us grow III
grace and in a knowledge Of the
Lord Jesus Christ" !" The way to
grow and gain strength, s to eat
proper food and take proper cxcr-
else. What sort Oh food do You
suppose is necessary in order to
grow IN grace? Spiritual food,
OF course. Do You find il in the
dance? Suppose a dish Of such
food were placed before one Of the
white-robed throng which John
saw, when they come to Sit down
at the feast OF the bride and The
lamb, b,-don t you reckon the very
odor oft would turn his stomach
You know it was never intended
for Gods people to live on such
miserable stuff look round yott
aud see what sort Of development
-nch TO cd produces A mere
glance at the miserable little scraw-
ny, serofulous, cranky dwarfs, of
what ought 60 be full-grown men
and women in Christ. and who
have gotten their erowths in the
ball room. is enough to arousc
any man 5 opposition against this
hell-born engine OF the devil.
which he is plying With all the
fiendish energy and dcvilish de-
light that satanic art can invent
! suspect some will got their brls-
ties up at this. If you tread on
the devils tail be IS apt 70 roar
Sam Jones says, 'lf you throw
a rock among a crowd Of dogs.
the one that's bit will halloo.
If you hear anybody kicking
against what I've said, you may
know he's hit.
DO you get any fresh knowl-
edge of Jesus in the ball room ?
Suppose He were to appear TO you
in the midst Of the dizzy whirl Of
the danee. and turn His sad re-
proachful eyes upon you as He
did upon Peter, do you think you
would feel exactly comfortable? ?
Surely Peters denial could be no
worse than yours, for he had gone
there at his own peril, following
his Master, to sec what would be-
come Of Him; and was induced
to deny his Lord, under the i'm
mediate influence Of physical fear;
while you go where the Saviour
never leads, and where you would
never dare ask Him to 20 with
you. Besides you deny HIM by
the very act Of going, for Christ
said, "IIe that is not with Me Is
against Me; and he that gather
eth not with Ne scattereth abroad I
Will you dare say that by dancing
you gather with Christ? You
know it is not 50. Then you scat
ter abroad. "Offences must needs
come, but woe unto that man BY
whom the offence cometh. Bet
ter were it for that man had he
never been born.
Win any one claim that the
dance is a healthful amusement,
either mentally, morally, or ply
sically? | hardly think any per
son, in the face of all the facts,
would dare assert that it is, unless
he has an utter disregard for the
truth and his own reputation for
honesty. The time alone at which
it is carried on, is enough to con
denim it. ] dare say there are
some before me who will recall
some victim Of declining health
or premature death dated from
the ball room.
Does the dance improve the
moral tone Of character? No
honest person would contend iol
such an absurdity. This may
seem hard, but ] know whereof
/ speak. What was Paul's idea
of such things? He gives us the
fruits Of the Spirit acquired
through correct living contrasted
with the works of the flesh. Sup
pose We imagine two ladders, one